Dispensing device for flawing substances having a pressure controlled pump arrangement

ABSTRACT

A dispensing device for flowing substances, especially food substances, comprises a valve arrangement (2) for controlling flow of substance from a container (3) out through a discharge opening (4). The container (3) is of the type that decreases its volume at the same rate as with which the substance is discharged from the container in order to avoid that the substance in the container there gets in contact with air. Between the valve arrangement (2) and the container (3) a conduit (6)is extending, which is co-ordinated with a pump arrangement (7) arranged to transport the substance in the conduit without getting in direct contact with the substance.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

This invention relates to a dispensing device for flowing substances.What here is primarily related to are flowing food substances, such asmustard, ketchup, dressings and so on within the restaurant and kioskbusiness, cream, butter creams, jams and so on within the bakerybusiness etc.

The handling now used for food products of additive character for thefood industry, e.g. bakeries etc., and the restaurant business isaffected by several deficiencies. Thus, it is today usual that thecontainers containing the food product in question are located in roomtemperature for hours, days not to mention weeks before the content ofthe containers has been consumed. Furthermore, such considerable lengthsof time also often pass between thorough cleaning of the containers andthe dispensing devices used. Such extended dwell times of food productsin room temperature give rise to a rapid increase of micro organismsharmful to humans. This is especially the case as the food substances inquestion often are in contact with the surrounding air. According toknown art it is namely required, to even get the food substance out ofactual containers with the dispensing devices used, that vent openingsare present between the interior of the containers and the surroundingsince the discharging of substance out of the containers otherwise wouldbe counteracted by the tendency of forming of vacuum therein, whicharises at the discharging of substance. It is true that attempts aremade to reduce this increase by admixing considerable quantities ofpesticides active against the micro organisms in question to the foodproducts involved. However, it is today a nearly unanimous opinionwithin the staff of medical re- searchers within this field that suchpesticides are considerably more harmful to the human organism thanexpected before. Once the content of pesticides is reduced or such meansare totally eliminated, an even more rapid increase of micro organismsis created.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to reduce the deficienciesdiscussed above and other problems within the art. Thus, a dispensingdevice shall be provided, where the food substance gets a very gooddurability without involving for that sake any dependence of chemicalpesticides; instead, the invention intends to indicate means for workingout the dispensing device so that the contact with the oxygen of thesurrounding air and micro organisms, being responsible for thedegradation of the food substance, is avoided to a maximum degree.Furthermore, the invention aims at indicating solutions, advantageousfrom a constructive point of view, for working out the dispensingdevices in question.

By using, in accordance with what is defined in claim 1 in combinationwith the dispensing device here involved, a container of the type thatdecreases its volume at the same rate as with which the substance isdischarged from the container, one can avoid that the substance in thecontainer gets in contact with the surrounding air. This means thatfoods substances can stay in the container for a very long time withoutbeing degraded. In the context it is preferred that the container hasthe character of a flexible bag.

By working out the dispensing device with a tube of a flexible materialadapted to receive substance coming from the container and arranging thevalve arrangement, as affectable for regulation of flow by pressureaction on the flexible tube in accordance with claim 3, it is achievedthat the food substance contained in the tube not either there risksbeing subjected to degenerating contact with the surrounding air.Further, there is not required any sealed inlets of manoeuvre arms orthe like, occurring in earlier valve arrangements known per se.

An especially advantageous solution is obtained in case a conduitextends between the valve arrangement and the container, said conduitbeing co-ordinated with a pump arrangement arranged to transport thesubstance in the conduit without getting in direct contact with thesubstance. Thereby the food substance consequently doesn't need to passthrough any pump chamber provided with axle inlets or the like, whichwould result in need of quite difficult cleaning and also cause risk forcontamination of the food substance and leakage of air.

In connection therewith, it is an advantage if a pressure sensor isco-ordinated with the conduit between the valve arrangement and the pumparrangement, which sensor, at obtaining a certain pressure level,interrupts the function of the pump arrangement and once again startsthe pump arrangement at underpassing of a certain level and that thispressure sensor is arranged to be affected by width changes of theconduit depending on the pressure in the latter. Expressed in otherwords, the pressure sensor doesn't need to be in any direct contact withthe substance but indirectly senses the pressure in the conduit by beingaffected by the width of the conduit. This assumes of course a flexibleor hose-like structure of the conduit along at least a part thereof. Aneasily accomplished manoeuvering of the valve arrangement is obtained incase the dispensing device, as is apparent from claim 8, comprises atube of a flexible material adapted to receive the substance from thecontainer via the conduit, the valve arrangement being arranged to closeagainst flow of substance from the tube when the latter is unaffectedfrom outside but to open when the tube is affected by pressure fromoutside with a force above a certain threshold value.

Further advantageous designs of the dispensing device according to theinvention appear from the dependent patent claims and from the followingcloser description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the following drawings, below follows a more specificdescription of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of the dispensing device according tothe invention,

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned detailed view illustrating a conduitlead-through and a pressure sensor,

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a pump arrangement included in the device,

FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of a part of a container and aconduit adapted for connection thereto,

FIG. 5 is a partially sectioned side view illustrating the conduit andthe container-in FIG. 4 as assembled,

FIG. 6 is an exploded side view illustrating an alternative to what isillustrated in FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5, though showing the componentsappearing from FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a partially sectioned side view of a dispensing unit, includedin the dispensing device, comprising a tube of a flexible material,

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating the tube as pressedtogether,

FIG. 10 is a view similar to the bottom part of FIG. 8 but with anothervalve arrangement,

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 but with the tube pressed together,and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the shaping of valve meansincluded in the valve arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, a device for dispensing of flowing substances, especiallyfood substances, such as mustard, ketchup etc., is schematicallyillustrated, said device comprising a dispensing unit 1 with a valvearrangement 2 for regulating flow of substance from a container 3 outthrough a discharge opening 4.

The container 3 is of the type that decreases its volume at the samerate as with which the substance is discharged from the container inorder to avoid that the substance in the container there gets in contactwith air. A preferred form of embodiment of the container 3 is as aflexible bag. At delivery from the factory, the container 3 isaccordingly assumed to be filled with substance without any air filledshare of the space in the container existing. As the substancedischarges from the container, the latter one reduces its volume so thatthe container in emptied state is generally flat. It should beinterposed, that the container 3 does not necessarily need to have thecharacter of a flexible bag but could possibly instead consist of sometelescopic unit capable to be pressed together for reduction of thevolume.

The device comprises a tube 5 of a flexible material adapted to receivethe substance coming from the container 3. The valve arrangement 2 isarranged to be affected for flow regulation by pressure action on theflexible tube 5. This pressure action is primarily intended to bemanual, i.e. that the operator of the device grips the tube 5 with thehand and presses it together, more or less, depending on how muchsubstance the Operator wishes to discharge.

Between the valve arrangement 2 and the container 3 a conduit 6 isextending, which is co-ordinated with a pump arrangement 7 arranged totransport the substance in the conduit without getting in direct contactwith the substance. The pump arrangement 7 is driven by a motor 8, whoseoperation is controlled by a control unit 9, which executes the controlof the motor 8 depending on information received from a pressure sensor10 and corresponding to the pressure of the substance in the conduit 6.More precisely the function is such, that at a certain pressure level ofthe substance in the conduit established by the pressure sensor 10, thecontrol unit 9 controls the motor 8 to interrupting the effect of thepump of the pump arrangement 7, while the control unit 9 starts the pumparrangement when the pressure underpasses a certain level. This,accordingly, means that downstream of the pump arrangement 7, agenerally constant overpressure will exist, while the pressure upstreamof the pump arrangement 7 is depending on if the latter in practice willsuck the substance from the container 3 or if the container 3 is sooriented in relation to the pump arrangement 7 that the substance tendsto automatically, through the influence of the gravity force, arrive tothe pump arrangement.

The valve arrangement 2 is arranged to close against flow of substancefrom the tube 5 when this one is unaffected from outside but to openwhen the tube is affected from outside by pressure with a force above acertain threshold value. In other words, the valve arrangement shallaccordingly, when the tube 5 is unaffected by the operator, be capableof closing so that the overpressure, existing in the conduit 6 betweenthe valve arrangement and the pump arrangement, doesn't give rise to anyflowing out of substance via the discharge opening 4. A supplementarypressure, arising as the operator presses the tube 5 together, shallhowever give rise to the pressure in the conduit 6 being so muchincreased that the valve arrangement 2 opens. In the context it isinterposed that the pump arrangement 7 should be of such type that anincreasing pressure in the conduit 6 as a result of pressing together ofthe tube 5 can not cause the substance to flow through the pumparrangement 7 in the backward direction towards to container 3.

In the case according to FIG. 1, the conduit 6 is thought to extend fromthe container 3 to the dispensing unit 1 while passing through anopening in a plate 11. This one is more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2,from which also appears that a clamping coupling generally indicatedwith 12, is arranged to clamp the conduit 6 tight in relation to theplate 11 for avoiding the conduit 6 from sliding back and forth inrelation to the plate 11. This one can be constituted by a bench top orthe like in a restaurant, a kiosk or similar.

The clamping coupling 12 comprises two parts 13, 14 co-operating witheach other and shaped for, on one hand, being locked tight in relationto the plate 11, and, on the other hand, affect a clamping means 15, forexample a rubber ring, to be pressed against the tube 6 located on theinside thereof for fixing of position. In the example, the parts 13, 14are thought to present threads co-operating with each other so that theparts can be brought to be locked together in relation to the plate 11by screwing and, at the same time, the rubber ring 15 is deformed toclamp against the conduit 6. The latter extends through a passagecommonly formed by the parts 13, 14.

In FIG. 2 the pressure sensor 10 is also illustrated. This comprises asensing means 16 arranged to be affected by width changes of the conduitdepending on the pressure within the conduit 6. This prerequisites thatthe conduit 6 to at least a part is flexible or hose-like and enoughdeformable concerning width, so that pressure changes occurring shallgive rise to width changes sensible by relatively uncomplicated sensingmeans. Hence it follows that the pressure sensor 10 only senses thepressure indirectly, i.e. that the pressure sensor 10 is not in anydirect contact with the substance in the conduit 6 but with the outerjacket surface of the conduit. The pressure sensor 10 is suitablyarranged in a cavity in a suitable socket 17 and the conduit 6 extendspast this cavity so that the conduit at pressure increase in the samecan expand more or less into this cavity and thereby affect the sensingmeans 16.

Though, of course, the pressure sensor 10 can be arranged totallyseparated from the clamping coupling 12, FIG. 2 shows that a possibleform of the embodiment is to integrate the socket 17 with the clampingcoupling 12, in the example with the lower part 13 of the latter.

The pump arrangement is in FIG. 3 more closely illustrated together witha part of the conduit 6. At least the part of the conduit illustrated inFIG. 3 is designed like a hose and this hose part forms part of the pumparrangement 7 by comprising one or more pump means 18 which are arrangedso as to be moved along a portion of the hose during pressure actionagainst the same. In the example, that hose portion extends in form ofan arc and the pump means 18 are rotatingly arranged around an axle 19,which substantially forms the centre for the arc of the hose portion.

The pump arrangement 7 comprises a housing 20 which is formed by twohousing halves fastened to each other, of which only one is shown inFIG. 3. The housing 20 forms interiorly a support surface 21, formed asa circle arc, for the hose portion 22. The support surface 21 issuitably generally formed as a half circle and merges into tangentiallydirected support surface parts 23. The pump means 18 are arranged on acarrier 24, which is driven in rotation around the axle 19. The pumpmeans 18 suitably have the character of rollers or pulleys, which arerotationally arranged around axles 25 on the carrier 24.

When the carrier 24 rotates, the pump means 18 will, in the area of oneof the tangential support surface parts 23, get in contact, in asuccessive way, with the hose portion 22 so that the hose portion issqueezed together. Further rotation of the carrier 24 in the directionof the arrow in FIG. 3 means that the place for squeezing together ofthe hose will be displaced forwardly so that substance existing in thehose at the same time also will be displaced forwardly. At the same timethe hose once again expands behind the place of squeezing together sothat the result becomes a transport of the substance in the direction ofthe arrows 26.

It should be noted that in the showed example of the embodiment it is ofimportance that the number of pump means 18 is so large, in practice atleast two, that when one of the pump means gets out of the squeezingengagement with the hose portion 22, the other pump means shall alreadyhave gone into squeezing co-operation with the hose portion, i.e. thatindependently of the position of the pump means 18, any free passagebackwards past the pump arrangement 7 in direction towards the container3 shall never be present. This also means a relatively stable holding ofpressure downstream of the pump arrangement 7.

It is preferred that the conduit 6 is in one single piece of material,preferably one single, continuous hose piece, all the way from an endpart 27 which is intended for being connected to the container 3 untilthe opposite end part 28 which is intended for being connected to thedispensing unit 1.

At its end 27 intended for connection to the container 3 the conduit 6presents (see FIG. 4 and 5) a cutting means 29 arranged to cut through asealing 30 arranged on the container 3. This sealing has the purpose to,from the filling of the container onwards, hold the substance existingtherein hermetically separated from the surrounding atmosphere in orderto avoid degradation of the substance. In the example, the cutting means29 is designed upon a body 31, which is received within the conduit end27 and is held in place there by the squeezing action of the hoseconduit 27 or by any other suitable type of arrangement. The sealing 30,normally in the form of a sheet, is in the example arranged at the endof a protruding tube section 32. During transport, the container 3 issuitably co-ordinated with a cover 33 which prevents the sealing 30 frombeing unintentionally broken.

The cutting means 29 is so located in relation to the outer end of theconduit 27, that the conduit end gets into sealing surrounding of thetube section 32 before the cutting means 29 breaks through the sealing30. The sealing means 29 have the character of an edge, suitablyextending obliquely, on a groove section 34 which cross sectionwise isgenerally formed as a half circle. At putting on the conduit end on thetube section 32, it is thereby obtained that the cutting means 29 cutsout a patch of the sealing 30 and this patch permits passing through ofthe substance without being completely loosened from the container 3 andfollowing the substance in the direction towards the dispensing unit.

The variant illustrated in FIG. 6 and 7 differs from the precedingembodiment as the sealing 30 here is at the end of the threadedconnection 35 of the container 3 so that before the conduit 27 is put onthe container, an intermediate part 36 must be mounted at the containerand this intermediate part presents an inwardly threaded jacket designedto engage with the threading of the container and further with aprotruding tube section 37, which is the one, on which the conduit end27 is put. The cutting means 38 is also here so located in relation tothe end of the conduit 27 that the conduit sealingly is put on the tubesection 37 before the cutting means 38 cuts through the sealing 30.

In FIG. 8 and 9 an example of the design of the dispensing unit 1 isillustrated. The flexible tube 5 has such a diameter and such a lengththat it becomes comfortably possible to grip with the hand and possibleto squeeze together in the way that is schematically indicated in FIG.9. The tube 5 can on top be connected in a suitable way known per se,for example through a clamping ring 39, to a connection section 38,which presents a tube section, on which the conduit end 28 is put on. Atthe opposite end of the tube 5 there is also a section 40 connected tothe tube 5, said section forming at its lower end the discharge opening4. The valve arrangement 2 is arranged at the lower part of the tube 5and so close to the discharge opening as possible.

The valve arrangement 2 has the character of a non return valve,designed to close a passage 41 between the interior of the tube 5 andthe discharge opening 4 when the tube 5 is unaffected by the operator,but when the operator grips around the tube 5 and squeezes it together,the increase of pressure thereby arising causes a total pressure in thetube 5 composed, on one hand, by the pressure of the pump arrangement 7and, on the other hand, by the pressure of the hand of the operator onthe tube 5, and this total pressure is intended to be able to overcomethe force from elastic return means 42 which intend to respectively holdthe valve arrangement in and bring it back to a closing state. This,accordingly, gives rise to opening of the valve arrangement and thesubstance can consequently flow through towards the discharge opening 4.

In the example, the valve arrangement 2 is formed by a ball valve whichpresents a valve housing 43 in which the passage 41 is designed. Aroundthe passage 41 a valve seat is formed, against which the ball 44 isintended to bear. The elastic return means 42 have here the character ofa helical spring affecting the valve ball 44 to sealing bearing againstthe valve seat.

The variant illustrated in FIG. 10-12 only differs from the oneillustrated in FIG. 8 and 9 concerning the design of the valvearrangement 2. The description will here accordingly be concentrated onthe differences. In FIG. 10-12, the valve arrangement 2 comprises aplurality of valve means 45, which are adapted to each other to, in afirst relative state (FIG. 10), stop flow past the valve means and, in asecond relative state (FIG. 11 ), open for such flow. In the example,the valve means are four in number but this is not anything binding forthe concept of the invention.

Elastic return means are provided for affecting the valve means 45 toclosing position. These return means can for example be formed by anelastic means 46 extending around the valve means 45 and fastened inrelation to the flexible tube 5 or the end section 40.

The elastic means 46 around the valve means 45 has the character of asleeve formed as a ring, which grips around the valve means and squeezesthem radially inwards to bearing against each other. Accordingly, theelastic means 46 will counteract the valve means 45 or parts thereofmoving radially outwards, i.e. away from each other.

As appears from the figures of the drawings, the elastic means 46 andthe valve means 45 can present parts engaging with one another in orderto obtain mutual determination of position. These parts have thecharacter of projections/recesses. In the example, recesses 47 (FIG. 12)are arranged on the valve means 45 while a projection 48, fitting intothe recesses 47, is arranged on the elastic means 46. Those latter canfor example commonly form a circular path, in which case the projection48 on the elastic means 46 is formed by a ring-shaped bead extendinginwards.

The valve means 45 lie in a closing position against each other alongbearing surfaces 49 and the valve means are arranged so as to, atopening, rock against each other so that their ends 50, locateddownstream as seen in the discharging direction, move from each other(see FIG. 11). The ends of the valve means located upstream are arrangedto sidewardly bear against each other as the valve means rock inrelation to each other.

As is indicated in FIG. 12, adjacent valve means 45 can engage with eachother via shape locking means, e.g. projections/pins 51 and recesses 52.

According to a suitable embodiment, every single valve means 45 canthereby present a pin 51 for engaging in adjacent valve means andfurthermore a recess 52 intended to fit together with a pin of the otheradjacent valve means.

The valve means 45 form in their closing position a cross sectionwisegenerally circular configuration. Every single valve means forms therebya circular sector of this circular configuration.

In their closing position, the valve means 45 commonly form a channel53, which, at the upstream ends of the valve means, emerges into thetube 5 but which stops before the downstream ends 50 of the valve means,which in said closing position forms a tight closure through bearingagainst each other. This channel 53 is, as most clearly appears fromFIG. 12, formed as each one of the valve means presents an inwardlylocated recess, which however stops before the lower ends of the valvemeans.

It is important that the valve means 45 are so designed thatoverpressure in relation to the surrounding and present in the flexibletube 5 tends to affect the valve means in opening direction, but thatthis affection is intended to be overcome by the elastic means 46 aslong as the flexible tube 5 is not affected by the operator, i.e. thatthe elastic means 46 is capable of holding the valve arrangement 2closed as long as it is the pump arrangement 7 which defines thepressure inside the tube 5. When, however, a pressure increase appearsas the operator presses the tube 5 together, the effect of the means 46is intended to be overcome so that the valve arrangement opens thanks tothe valve means rocking according to what is indicated in FIG. 11. Whenaffection on the tube 5 ceases, the means 46 brings back the valve meansto closing position.

The elastic means 46 is fastened to the flexible tube 5 or to the endsection 40 in an arbitrary way.

It is clear that the invention in no way is limited to just thedescripted embodiment but that many modifications are possible withinthe frame of the concept of the invention. As an example it might bementioned that the pump arrangement 7 and the pressure sensor 10 can bemodified in a plurality of ways as long as they are arranged to workwithout needing to be in any direct contact with the substance in theconduit 6.

I claim:
 1. A dispensing device for flowing substances, in particularfood substances and the like, comprising a container for accommodating aflowing substance, said container being in communication with a flexibletube, said flexible tube capable of receiving said flowing substance andhaving, at an end thereof, an opening for discharging said flowingsubstance from said flexible tube and a valve arrangement for regulationof said flowing substance to be discharged from said opening uponapplication of pressure applied to said flexible tube, the improvementcomprising:a conduit which extends between said container and saidflexible tube thereby providing fluid communication between saidcontainer and said flexible tube; a pump arrangement for movement ofsaid flowing substance from said container, via said conduit, to saidflexible tube; a pressure sensor, being in communication with said pumparrangement, for detecting pressure changes in said conduit such thatwhen pressure in said conduit is below a threshold value said pumparrangement is activated and when pressure in said conduit is above athreshold value said pump arrangement is inactivated; and a valvearrangement which, in a closed condition, prevents discharge of saidflowing substance from said opening of said flexible tube and whichopens when pressure applied to said flexible tube exceeds a thresholdvalue, thereby permitting the discharge of flowing substance from saidopening of the tube.
 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein saidpressure sensor is responsive to width changes in said conduit.
 3. Thedevice according to claim 1 wherein one end of said conduit is connectedto said container and said other end is connected to said flexible tubeand wherein said valve arrangement is located at an end of said flexibletube adjacent to said opening.
 4. The device according to claim 1wherein one end of said conduit is connected to said container andfurther comprises a cutting means attached at said end of said conduitfor breaking a seal of said container.
 5. The device according to claim1 wherein said container is in the form of a flexible bag.
 6. The deviceaccording to 1 wherein said container decreases in volume at a ratewhich is the same as a rate at which said flowing substance isdischarged from said container, such that prior to being dispensed saidflowing substance avoids contact with air.
 7. The device according toclaim 1 wherein said pump arrangement contacts an outer surface of saidconduit thereby avoiding direct contact with said flowing substance. 8.The device according to claim 7 wherein at least a portion of saidconduit is in the form of a hose and said pump arrangement furthercomprises at least two rolling members for engaging with said hoseportion, said rolling members being rotatably mounted at each end of acarrying means, said carrying means capable of rotating about a centralaxis such that said rolling members, while engaging with said hoseportion, move along and press against said hose portion, when said pumparrangement is activated.
 9. The device according to claim 8 whereinsaid hose portion is in the form of an arc.